Grip and set up are key to consistency

Our grip is the most important part of the game other than the set up. You want to see two knuckles on your top hand and cover your top hand thumb at least half way with the bottom hand. In the fingers is where we want to be with the full swing grip.  Grip pressure is important to test as you are progressing. The best players in the world know when to squeeze the club harder vs. a soft grip pressure. I truly believe that grip pressure has a huge impact on shots inside of 100 yards or just closer to the green shots in general. 

Our full swing set up is where the feet are shoulder distance apart or slightly wider than shoulder distance. Shaft lean is something to check, we would like to see the shaft leaning towards the target but the shaft not outside the shoulders if you extend a line through the shaft upwards. For longer clubs, since the ball position tends to get more forward in your stance or more towards your front foot then the shaft naturally won't lean as much towards the target. When looking at yourself face on, you would like to see a Y with the arms and shaft. Again, we are talking about a stock full swing shot. 

Posture and distance to the ball are very important aspects of consistent ball striking. Standing straight up and bending with the hips with your legs straight then letting your knees out slightly is where we would like to start. Calculating distance to ball- grip the club and with your arms straight down put the club behind the ball and have your feet close together. Feel your weight at the end of your shoelaces. Moving your feet back until you find the balls of your feet and arms straight down. That is where we want to be with our distance to the ball. Some players need a little reach and some need to be slightly closer to the ball but the way I just described it is where most players need to be. Use a tripod and video yourself from down the line view, camera looking towards the target on the hand line. 

Short game shots is a crucial part of the game and scoring. You want to learn how to set up to the ball for the shot your want to hit. For lower shots in general you want to be closer to the ball and more square with the clubface. For high shots, being further from the ball with the handle of the club lower with the face open. Testing different set ups and having an imagination is key to becoming a good short game player. Grip pressure firm vs. soft is something you need to check as you continue to improve. 

Learning how to score and hit certain shots are key in improving score. I look at it like this. When we are in position we can be more aggressive with our shots into greens and when we are out of position our mindset should be, how to get out of this position and set myself up for an easier next shot. Just like playing pool. You always need to be thinking about where we want the cue ball to be for the next shot. So sometimes we will be trying to get it close to the green or just on the green.